Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Early East Polynesian Prehistory and the Archaeology of Rurutu, Austral Islands

博士论文改进补助金：早期东波利尼西亚史前史和南方群岛鲁鲁图考古学

• 批准号: 0437581
• 负责人: Barry Rolett
• 金额: $ 1.06万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-12-01 至 2005-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0437581&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Early

Under the supervision of Dr. Barry Rolett, Robert Bollt will analyze the archaeological assemblage recovered during his 2003 excavation on the East Polynesian island of Rurutu in the Austral group of French Polynesia. The site is typical of the Archaic period of East Polynesian prehistory, which represents an early stage in colonization process during the period of A.D. 1000 - 1400. Until this project, the Australs have remained a blank in the record of Archaic East Polynesian culture. This research is geared toward filling this gap and will significantly enhance our understanding of the colonization, settlement, and development of East Polynesia. Robert Bollt's research focuses on the nature of the Archaic period, and specifically on the high degree of long-distance voyaging and interaction that took place in the region during that time.In recent years, empirical evidence for long-distance interaction has drawn considerable attention to the East Polynesian Archaic period. Compositional analysis of the basalt used in tool making has revealed that the Polynesians had exchange networks that stretched over thousands of kilometers throughout the eastern Pacific. Before such empirical evidence came to light, it was believed that once settled, individual islands developed in relative isolation from one another. Studies in interaction are now revolutionizing how researchers understand the prehistory of Polynesia. The Polynesians' navigational skills, shipbuilding technology, and spirit of exploration have come to the forefront in ways not previously imagined. This project will perform analyses on the basalt tools from Rurutu, which will prove valuable because there is currently no such data from the Australs. This will reveal to what extent the Australs were involved in interaction and long-distance trade with their neighbors, such as Tahiti and the Southern Cooks. The results will provide an invaluable reference point for the Australs that will be useful to other researchers working in Polynesia. The radiocarbon dates obtained from the site will also be the first series of its kind for the Australs.As archaeological research makes further headway into Polynesia, it continues to reveal new aspects of a culture whose colonization of the entire Pacific Ocean over a thousand years ago ranks among the most incredible feats of human exploration. As traditional Polynesian society is quickly vanishing, understanding the region's prehistory is increasingly critical to Polynesian life. Today, East Polynesia is far more divided in terms of language and culture than it had been before European contact in the 18th century. In learning about the achievements of their ancestors, Polynesians are coming to realize that the modern international boundaries that separate them from one another cannot mask a common heritage. By working in harmony with government of French Polynesia and the people of Rurutu, this project hopes to increase awareness of a rich and unique prehistory. The results will be communicated through publications in scholarly journals and presentations at scientific conferences. This award will also provide the author and undergraduate laboratory assistants with valuable technical experience in the analytical methods used.

在巴里·洛雷特（Barry Rolett）博士的监督下，罗伯特·博尔特（Robert Bollt）将分析他在法属澳大利亚波利尼西亚澳大利亚集团东波利尼西亚鲁鲁图岛（East Polynesian Rurutu）进行的2003年发掘期间回收的考古组合。 该地点是东波利尼西亚史前历史的古老时期的典型特征，这代表了公元1000 - 1400年期间的殖民过程的早期阶段。直到这个项目，奥斯特尔在古老的东波利尼西亚文化的记录中仍然是空白。 这项研究旨在填补这一空白，并会大大增强我们对东波利尼西亚的定居，定居和发展的理解。 罗伯特·博尔特（Robert Bollt）的研究着重于古老时期的性质，特别是在该地区在该地区发生的长距离航行和相互作用的高度。近年来，长距离相互作用的经验证据引起了人们对东波利尼西亚古老古时时期的广泛关注。 对工具制造中使用的玄武岩的组成分析表明，波利尼西亚人的交换网络在整个东太平洋地区延伸了数千公里。 在揭露这种经验证据之前，人们相信一旦定居，各个岛屿彼此相对隔离。 互动研究现在正在彻底改变研究人员如何理解波利尼西亚的史前史。 波利尼西亚人的导航技能，造船技术和探索精神已经以以前没有想到的方式走到了最前沿。 该项目将对Rurutu的玄武岩工具进行分析，这将被证明是有价值的，因为目前尚无澳大利亚的此类数据。 这将在多大程度上揭示澳大利亚人参与与邻居（例如大溪地和南部厨师）的互动和长途贸易。 结果将为澳大利亚人提供宝贵的参考点，这对在波利尼西亚工作的其他研究人员有用。 从该地点获得的放射性碳日期也将是澳大利亚人的第一个系列。随着考古研究的进一步迈进了波利尼西亚的进一步，它继续揭示了一种文化的新方面，其在一千年前对整个太平洋的殖民化阶段是人类探索最令人难以置信的壮举之一。 随着传统的波利尼西亚社会正在迅速消失，了解该地区的史前历史对波利尼西亚生活至关重要。 如今，东波利尼西亚在语言和文化方面比18世纪的欧洲接触之前要分裂得多。 在了解其祖先的成就时，波利尼西亚人开始意识到，将他们彼此分开的现代国际边界不能掩盖共同的传统。 通过与法国波利尼西亚和鲁鲁图人民和谐相处，该项目希望提高人们对丰富而独特的史前史的认识。 结果将通过学术期刊和科学会议的演讲中的出版物进行传播。 该奖项还将为作者和本科实验室助手提供所使用的分析方法的宝贵技术经验。